2i8 BIG GAME SHOOTING IN ALASKA chap, xi 



travel half as fast through the bushes as the moose, and we 

 had about an equal distance to go if I was to get within shot 

 as he passed us. However, fortune favoured us, for the 

 moose entered a small patch of stunted spruce firs, and as it 

 was some time before he appeared again we got to within 400 

 yards of the trees in the interval. Our surprise was great to 

 see, a moment later, two bull moose walk out of the cover of 

 these trees. The leading bull had evidently been startled by 

 the other one, and had joined him in his flight. They came 

 leisurely out at a walk, and seemed to be following a trail 

 which ran along the near side of a ridge running at right 

 angles to our line of advance. If they followed this ridge it 

 would bring them to within 100 yards of us, and in that case I 

 stood a good chance of bagging the two. When they had 

 come about 50 yards towards us both bulls stopped, evidently 

 listening. The leader was a splendid animal with a 

 tremendous spread of horns, beside which the second one 

 seemed to have but a small head. Between us and the 

 moose stood hundreds of dead fir-trees, killed by the fire 

 which had swept over that spot. The bare poles were so 

 thick together that it was only possible to get glimpses of 

 parts of the moose as they walked. When they stopped, the 

 whole body of the leader was covered from my view by the 

 tree-stems. In spite of this, and also the fact that if they 

 remained quiet the moose would probably come nearer, both 

 natives started saying, in loud and excited tones, " Shoot 

 quick. Hurry up." I was furious, and cursed them sotto 

 voce, but they would not be denied. Meanwhile, seeing 

 that the moose had now really heard us, and that when they 

 did move it would be any way but in the right direction, 

 I hastily shoved up the 300-yards sight, and remained stand- 

 ing, keeping my eyes fixed on an open space in the trees 



